New Ornate Wall Decals with Art from BioWorkZ - Meet the Artist

The folks here at My Wonderful Walls are so thrilled to be able to partner with artists from around the globe to bring their art to you in wall decal form! We recently were lucky enough to start a relationship with artist Ben Kwok aka BioWorkZ from Pasadena, CA. His highly detailed illustrations caught Michael and Stephanie’s eyes and they were sure their customer base would love his art too. BioWorkZ (a moniker he took on, inspired by H.R. Giger’s “Biomechanics” and creating many biomechanical illustrations himself) was a little hesitant to sign on with My Wonderful Walls at first. But Stephanie’s light hearted banter (and several emails) put him at ease and the artist decided to go for it. We are so happy he did! There’s a quick lesson in how persistence pays off.

Judging by the overwhelming response we’ve had to the new BioWorkZ wall decal collection, our customers love him as well. These new ornate wall decals portraying animals, skulls and more are a wonderful addition to our site for older kids, teens and adults. You can choose from all of his striking designs like this wild Walking Elephant Wall Sticker Decal or the Ornate Bear Wall Sticker Decal who stands majestically drawn in black and white detail, plus many more from this artist. All of the stickers in this collection are available in four different sizes so you may use them in any space or on virtually any surface you choose.

Here's a little more about BioWorkZ and his art:

My Wonderful Walls: Where were you born? BioWorkZ: Taipei, Taiwan

MWW: Where do you currently live now?BioWorkZ: Pasadena, CA

MWW: Were you always interested in art? How and when did you begin?BioWorkZ: As long as I remember, I have always been fascinated by art. I began by doodling on the back of unwanted scraps paper as early as 4 years old.

MWW: When did it turn professional?BioWorkZ: Fresh out of college was when I turned professional. The work I produced back then was really horrible. I'm grateful for the clients I had back then because it really helped me grow as an artist and a freelancer. But wow, after reflecting on the crap I produced for them, I'm surprised they even worked with me. In my defense, I was very new and still growing as an artist.

MWW: Did you go to school to study art/graphic art?BioWorkZ: Yes, I went to Cal State Long Beach and graduated with a BFA in Illustration. I started off as a Graphic Designer, but absolutely hated playing with fonts and layout all day. So I switched to Illustration instead because I love to draw.

MWW: In a few adjectives, how would you describe yourself? Your art?BioWorkZ: I would describe myself as motivated, curious, and critical. I would describe my art as ornate, complex, and detailed.

MWW: What inspires your art?BioWorkZ: For the longest time, my biggest inspirations were HR Giger and Alfonse Mucha. Nowadays, it is from artists like David A. Smith, Aaron Horkey, James Jean, and Iain Macarthur.

MWW: What medium(s) do you prefer?BioWorkZ: I love pen and ink the most, and to color in digital. I love the control I have over pen and ink, but I don't have the patience to mix colors on a palette. So that's why I prefer coloring digitally.

MWW: What are your favorite things to draw/create?BioWorkZ: At the moment, I love to draw animals; all sorts of animals, especially birds. Skulls have been a constant subject matter since high school, and that hasn't changed. It varies from time to time, or depending on the projects I get. But personal art will be mostly animals and skulls for now.

MWW: What is your favorite My Wonderful Walls wall sticker you have been involved with creating?BioWorkZ: That's a tough question. I'm attached to most of my work, and the stickers I have with My Wonderful Walls are all special to me in their own ways. They are like my children, there are not favorites.

MWW: Tell us about your artistic environment.BioWorkZ: Most of my work is created in my studio. By studio, I mean a spare bedroom in my condo that I use as my working space. It's a small 12' x 14' room consisting of two super heavy glass top tables. One table has my computer, scanner, printer and other digital tools. The other table is mainly used for drawing so it has paper, pens, and traditional tools. Next to my desks is a huge shelf with lots and lots of books for reference and collectible toys. The walls are covered with art prints and graphite transfers. I'm actually running out of wall space at the moment. My studio has a cubicle vibe, but I like it that way, I'm surrounded by art and inspiration. I live on the second floor so there's a large window that faces the street below, but there's also a gorgeous view of the mountains.

MWW: What is the best time for you to create?BioWorkZ: Early morning or late at night because there are less distractions to get in the way of my flow.

MWW: What are some of your other interests?BioWorkZ: Been obsessing over pens lately. I've been an unintentional pen collector. Recently, I got into fountain pens and it really opened me up to different possibilities. Can't get enough pens.

MWW: Is anyone else in your family an artist?BioWorkZ: No one in my immediately family. My cousins are creative, but not in an illustration type of way. I'm expecting a baby girl in a month and I hope she's into art when she gets older, because I would love to share this passion with her.

MWW: Do you live solely off your art or do you have another job/career?BioWorkZ: Just art, I'm a lucky guy. I get to do what I love and make a living out of it.

MWW: Do you have a favorite piece of work you’ve done? If so, what?BioWorkZ: My newest pieces tend to be my favorite at the time, but the feeling is fleeting. But I am fond of the "Lion" illustration I worked on recently.

MWW: How did you get involved with My Wonderful Walls?BioWorkZ: Stephanie reached out to me in an unusual casual manner. I resisted a little, but she was persistent. I like her casual fun, playful style. After some more emails going back and forth, it just felt right. I'm not a suit and tie kind of person. From the emails, neither was Stephanie, so that put me at ease. So here I am!

And we are so thrilled to have him here! If you love animal art with a lot of intricate detail, check out the entire BioWorkZ wall sticker collection. We’ve taken some of his popular designs and turned them into cool cut out or rectangular wall stickers, perfect for those who can’t paint, put nails in the walls or just love the versatility of wall decals.

For more from this visual designer and illustrator, check out his website BioWorkZ.com or follow him on Instagram for an up to date and behind the scenes look at his work!

“I want the artwork to pull the viewer in and hold them hostage.” -Ben Kwok of BioWorkZ